Bid awarded for hospital demolition

West Side Health Care District gets ready to move in to new modular offices, too

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By Doug KeelerMidway Driller Editor

Taft Midway Driller - Taft, CA

By Doug KeelerMidway Driller Editor

Posted Aug. 14, 2014 at 1:48 PM

By Doug KeelerMidway Driller Editor
Posted Aug. 14, 2014 at 1:48 PM

West Side Hospital will be demolished soon, clearing the way for a new medical campus.

It's going to be torn down for a lot less money than was first though.

The West Side Health Care District voted last week to accept a $180,000 bid from a Fresno firm to tear down the old hospital that was built more than 60 years ago.

The board decided Steve Dovali Construction's bid of $180,000 was the lowest responsive bid for the project.

One other bid came in lower but the bid form was not complete and the district decided to reject it as non responsive.

Dovali's bid was significantly lower than the original estimates for tearing down the building. The district at one point was planning to spend around $500,000 for the demolition, which includes some asbestos removal.

Board President Eric Cooper said competition brought the price down.

Eleven firms sent in bid packages, although two were considered non responsive.

Dovali will have 70 days to completely demolish the main hospital building once the contract is signed.

The bids ranged from $164,998 in a bid considered non responsive to $468,000.

The old administration building and a building currently used by Taft Senior Living, both located on Adkisson Way on the north side of the hospital grounds, will remain standing as will a garage on the east side.

The district is planning to construct a new medical campus on the grounds.

Planning is still in the very early stages, and the district is considering an offer from San Joaquin Hospital to conduct a feasibility study to see what kind of medical infrastructure the community can support.

As the old building comes down, the district is preparing to move into new offices in a modular building on the eastern end of the hospital property on Adkisson Way.

The two halves of the building are on site and the district should soon be moving from the current rented office at 218 Sixth Street to the new location.